Survey finds only one-third of U.S. midmarket firms doing cross-border trade

By Dave Hannon -- Purchasing, 10/9/2007 8:08:00 AM

A new survey conducted by UPS found that only one in three small to mid-size businesses in the U.S. participate in any type of cross-border trade.

And among those that do participate in global trade, 18% see it as a disadvantage while 45% say going global is a benefit to their business. One the major concerns found in the UPS survey among small and medium-size business is that going global will cut profits through increased competition.

"Until small businesses make going global an integral part of their business, they will continue to lose out on 95% of the world's customers that reside outside the U.S.A.," said Laurel Delaney, president and founder of consulting firm Global TradeSource.

The survey also found that Canada and Mexico are seen as offering the best opportunities, especially by small businesses in the U.S. that both import and export.